Don't Get Frustrated With Games

Most of us have been to a family gathering or been hanging out with our friends when a game has become involved. Somebody breaks out a board game or a videogame and invites the rest of the gang to join in. There's also a pretty good chance you have been in a situation where one of the people playing starts losing or not doing what they intended to do and get frustrated. That frustration may simply fizzle and go away. It may turn to happiness once the person starts winning. Or, worst case scenario, it could cause said person to erupt and ruin the game for everyone.

Now let's say this person is you.

Uh oh. That's not good. This probably means that when it comes to games, people don't usually want to play with you. Don't be upset. I used to be plagued with this problem too, especially when my friends and I would play a game called Smash Bros. It's a game that my friends and I play a lot and normally it's a lot of fun. That is, until I get frustrated. Here's a list of some of the things I say during that game.

Ah the game messed up.

Okay, that didn't happen!

I pushed it!!

Stop it! You're spamming that attack!

Oh come on. That's a cheap move.

Have you said these things before?

Maybe it wasn't a videogame, but a board game. There are still plenty of silly things to say. Take my first comment for example. The game messed up. Most of the time, the game didn't mess up. Unless there's lag or a glitch in the game, the game did not mess up. You did. Accept that. You can't win them all, so why be upset if you didn't push a button in time? If you're really hung up about it, take some time when you're alone to practice that move against a CPU player if you can. You'll get better at it. Promise.

The second and third things I listed work in sort of the same way. The game probably knows best. Formulas and programming and all.

The fourth expression is one I used a lot, unfortunately. I would accuse people of spamming a lot. Sometimes they were. But did it really matter that much? How is accusing people of doing something, especially if they're not doing it, making the game any more fun for you or for them? Isn't that what games are for? To have fun? It was especially eye opening for me when I realized I was doing the same thing. I would spam the same pattern of attacks. Side B, Combo, Up B, lather, rise, repeat. That what one of the reasons I decided to write this article. I was hoping it would help with my problem. And the accusing people of doing things made me realize what I was doing.

And finally, it was a cheap move. Yeah, it was a cheap move that beat you. I have come across a lot of cheap moves in the world of videogame multiplayer. Naruto Clash of the Ninja has Lee's Gates; Super Smash Bros. has...well...Meta Knight. Sometimes you're right, but hey, that's the developer's fault. Those things happen. Don't make another person feel miserable for using a move that's in their moveset. If it gets to be such a problem, ask them to kindly stop using that attack. Maybe you're vexing them with a cheap attack too and you can each stop one attack. Or maybe that person has had a run in with that attack they are using and have found a way around it they would be willing to share. Practice against it. Chances are, it's been talked about on the internet.

In summation:

Getting upset about the game you're playing is really not worth it. Does it help you at all? Does it make things more fun for you or whoever you're playing with. If you need to, politely tell your fellow players that you are getting frustrated and not to take what you're saying seriously. Most of the time, your friends or family will accept that and try to help you. On the off chance they start making fun of you or getting upset with you, remind them that you could have easily started acting out instead of being civil like you are.

Do you have any fighting the frustration tips? Please post a comment!

Thank you for reading. And remember, it's just a game. Have a great day.